The present invention is in the field of audio headphones.
Audio headphones have long been a staple for audiophiles and for use in various listening applications where the noise elimination and the quality of the audio experience was crucial. With active lifestyles, trendy fashioning of many wearable items and the introduction of digital audio players and smart phones, the use of fashion audio headphones has continue to grow significantly. Audio headphones include for each ear an ear piece that houses the speaker driver. The ear piece can be over the ear pinna with an enclosure that covers the entire pinna of the outer ear and minimizes or prevents outside noise from entering the ear. The ear piece can also be an on-ear type, which sits on the ear pinna, without the enclosure or in-ear buds. The on-ear and over-the-ear ear piece is generally attached to a headband that can be adjusted to fit the head of the individual listener.
The ear piece drivers receive audio signals from an audio source. The source transmits the audio signal to the headphones through an audio cord that is shielded, usually covered with a thin plastic or rubberized material that is rugged and flexible. The cord having an electrical connector or jack at the terminal end for making electrical connection with the source player. The cord must be of a sufficient length to allow the headphones to reach the listener's ears while maintaining the source at a stable location such as in the user's pocket or clipped to the user's belt. The cord is now often replaced with a wireless communication means, such as local radio frequency transmitters. Bluetooth® is a common RF link that is used.
Like clothing or other fashion items, many listeners prefer to personalize, customize or otherwise accessorize their listening devices and headphones to uniquely reflect their own personal preferences and identity. Designing products with aspirational and lifestyle fashions statement accessories have allowed individualization of those products, including headphones. Variation in colors and material composition of components provides for a unique look and feel of products. Generally, the fashion design aspect of headphones is created by manufactures and not the individual end user listener. User simply select the desired fashion headphone that are made available by the manufacturer. Fashion headphones come fully constructed from the factory. The number of variations in the product's fashion design or quality components is dictated by the manufacturer based on popularity of the design and economic considerations regarding the expense of carrying a large number of product SKUs. This is a limitation of current fashion headphones.
Another limitation with current headphones is that when products come from the factory with completely fixed constructions in design there is little or no opportunity to upgrade or select components of different quality grade or price points. Many consumers may desire to select components that are best suited to the multiple applications in which the product will be used or that allow consumers to upgrade after the initial purchase. For example, at some times the user may listen while jogging; at other times he may be listening while flying on a plane. With fixed construction, two sets of headphones would be required.